Hyundai will offer a hydrogen-powered Tucson in Canada

Hyundai will offer a hydrogen-powered Tucson in Canada

The Hyundai Tucson FCEV will be initially limited to consumers in Vancouver.Handout

After being initially exclusive to California since 2013 in North America, Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell Tucson is coming to Canada.

It will be available starting early next year, but there’s a catch — the Hyundai Tucson FCEV will be offered to consumers in Vancouver, and will only be available on a three-year lease.

Paired to a lithium-polymer battery, the Tucson FCEV combines oxygen with hydrogen stored on-board by drawing air into the fuel-cell stack and creates electricity as a result. The electricity is then used to both power the electric motor and charge the battery. There is no combustion and no moving parts in the fuel-cell stack, and the only byproduct is water vapour.

In total, the Tucson FCEV takes about five minutes to refuel and can travel up to 426 kilometres. The $599-per-month lease deal includes complimentary maintenance and unlimited refueling.

In addition to Canada and the U.S., the Hyundai Tucson FCEV is offered in select countries across Europe and, of course, Hyundai’s home market of South Korea.